Adjustable drop sprig for a fire sprinkler system



y 1965 E. P. FAULKNER ETAL 3,194,316

ADJUSTABLE DROP SPRIG FOR A FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Filed Sept. 18. 1961FICLI l9 FIG. 3

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INVENTORE FA ULKN J A IQES IM TUTTLE United States Patent '0 3,194,316ADJUSTABLE DROP SPRIG FGR A FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Enoch P. Faulkner,1556 Raymore Road, and James W. Tattle, 3639 Lamar Ava, both of Memphis,Tenn. Filed Sept. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 138,668 8 Claims. (Cl. 169-37) Thisinvention relates to an improved drop sprig of the type used in a firesprinkler system.

The usual practice in fire sprinkler systems is to have water carryingpipes which run horizontally through a building and from which at spacedintervals are provided so-called drop sprigs which depend from thehorizontal pipes and carry the water to the respective sprinkler headsattached to the lower ends of the sprigs. Some of these fire sprinklersystems are designed to have the sprinkler heads flush against theceiling. In installing a sprinkler system it becomes a problem and istime consuming to make the sprig the correct length to positionthesprinkler 3,194,316 Patented July 13, 1965 A further object isgenerally to improve the design and construction of drop sprigs.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the presentinvention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment willbe readily understood from the following specification upon reference tothe accompanying head exactly flush against the ceiling, particularly inthat type of constructionhaving an acoustical ceiling which is lowerthan the permanent ceiling. In this type of ceiling there is usuallyquite a variation in the distance from the horizontal pipes to theacoustical ceiling due to construction and manufacturing variations,etc. The present prac- .tice is to thread each sprig into the horizontalpipe, measure the length necessary by making a mark on the sprigadjacent the acoustical ceiling, take the sprig down to thread the lowerend thereof, screw it back into the horizontal pipe, and finally screwthe sprinkler head into place. Also, in other types of installationswhere the sprigs are arranged so that the sprinkler heads are spacedbelow the ceiling, many times it is desirable to be able to move thesprigs out of the way so that they will not be knocked against and bentout of place. As for example, when other craftsmen are working in thearea with ladders, etc., it is not possible to move the sprigs of theheretofore known types without having first to cut the water off, drainthe system, and then unscrew the sprigs.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming the above mentionedand other problems relative to sprinkler systems by providing anadjustabledrop sprigs.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide in afiresprinkler system a drop sprig comprising telescopically joined upper andlower pipes so arranged that the lower pipe may be adjusted to positionthe sprinkler head at the desired height.

A furtherflobject is to provide such a drop sprig that is provided withmeans for eificiently and effectively seal- .ing the upper and lowerpipes against any flow ofwater between said pipes.

A further object is to provide in such a drop sprig sealing means whichprovides a tighter seal as the water pressure is increased. 7

' A further object is to provide such a drop sprig that can be adjustedwhen water pressure is in the sprinkler system. v p p A further objectis to provide such a drop sprig in which the sprinkler head can berotatably adjusted. I A further object is to provide, in the type ofsprinkler system in which the sprinkler heads are spaced below theceiling, an adjustable drop sprig that can be shoved out of the way whendesired to prevent undesired knocking against and bending, as forexample, when other craftsmen are'working in the area.

A further object is to provide a sprig that saves considerable time andexpense in the installation of a sprinkler system. a

A further object is to provide means in such a sprig for catchingsediment and the like.

drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of an installed sprinkler system employingthe drop sprig of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken as on the line IIII of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on the lineIIIIII of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is'an enlarged fragmentary side elevationalview of the upper end of the lower pipe.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicatedby numerals, FIG. 1 show a typical installation of the present inventionwherein it will be seen one of the drop sprigs 11 of the presentinvention is shown connected to a horizontal pipe 13, which forms partof the sprinkler system and is installed in the building, not shown, forcarrying water and the like. The numeral 15 designates the ceiling ofone of the rooms of the building and, as will be seen, the ceiling 15 isspaced below pipe 13. The pipe 13 may be located below the permanentceiling, not shown, or may be disposed in the ceiling. Although only onedrop sprig 11 is shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that it iscontemplated that a plurality of such drop sprigs be connected to pipe13 at desired points.

Each of drop sprigs 11 comprises an upper pipe 17 connected adjacent theupper end thereof to pipe 13 as by teams of the usual T connection 19interposed in pipe 13 with the upper pipe being joined to the dependingbranch .of the T connection so that water is adapted to flow from pipe13 into upper pipe 17. Upper pipe 17 is preferably flared outwardly anddownwardly adjacent the upper end thereof as at 21 and extends to theupper end of the main cylindrical portion 23 of pipe 17.

The lower end of upper pipe 17 is open as at 25, and the upper end of alower pipe 27; smaller in diameter than upper pipe 17, istelesco-picallyreceived in the upper pipe through open lower end 25; A sprinkler head29 of usual construction is attached to the lower end of lower pipe 27so that when the sprinkler head is actuated in the usual manner into anopen position as by the heat of a fire, the water is adapted to flowfrom pipe 13 into upper pipe 17, then into lower pipe-27 and outsprinkler head 29.

An annular groove'31 is provided in the exterior of lower pipe 27adjacent the upper end thereof to provide .an upwardly facing shoulder'33 against which a resilient annular gasket 35 is adapted to fit and toextend outwardly into sliding contact with the interior wall 37 of upperpipe 17. It is contemplated that resilient gasket 35 be in the form of1a neoprene ()--ring or the like so that a completely watertight s'e-al'is provided to prevent flow teriorwall 37 so that :as the Water pressureincreases the seal is enhanced. In addition, it will be understood thatgroove 31 keeps gasket 35 in place relative to lower pipe 27, as whenthe lower pipe is moved up and down relative to upper pipe 17.

A plurality of threaded holes 39 are provided through upper pipe 17adjacent lower pipe 27 and each of the threaded holes receives a setscrew 41 which engages lower pipe 27 to anchor the lower pipe 27 andupper pipe 17 in a fixed position relative to one another.

from, said upper pipe being open adjacent the lower end thereof, a lowerpipe smaller in diameter than said upper pipe and having its upper endopen and telescopically received in the lower end of said upper pipe, atvalved sprinkler head connected to said lower pipe adjacent the lowerend thereof, said sprinkler head including means responsive to heat froma fire for opening said head for passage of water therethroug-h, saidlower pipe being rectilinearly movable relative to said'upper pipe toposition said sprinkler head at a desired position, said lower pipehaving an annular groove adjacent the upper end thereof, sealing meansfittedint-o said annular groove and ex tending outwardly into slidingcontact with the interior of said upper pipe for sea-ling said upper andlower pipes against flow of water and the like therebetween and forcatching sediment and the like, said sealing means being resilientwhereby said sealing means is adapted to be forced against said upperand lower pipes by an increase in the water pressure and the like toenhance the seal between said upper and lower pipes, at least onethreaded hole extending through said lower pipe adjacent said upperpipe, and a set screw threadedly engaged in said hole and contactingsaid upper pipe to hold said lower pipe and said sprinkler head in afixed position with said sprinkler head being disposed substantially atthe undersurface of said ceiling panel of said room, said sprinkler head:being normally in a closed disposition for holding Water in the pipesof said system until said sprinkler head is actuated by a fire.

'5. In a fire sprinkler system in a building with the sprinkler systemincluding a substantially horizontally disposed water supply pipearranged above the ceiling panel of a room of the building, a pluralityof drop sprigs depending from said water supply pipe; each of said dropsprigs comprising a first cylindrical pipe disposed vertically, meansconnecting the upper end, of said first pipe to said supply pipe 'iorpassage of water into said first pipe, a second cylindrical pipedisposed vertically, the outside diameter of said second pipe beingsmaller than the inside diameter of said first pipe, the upper endportion of said second pipe being telescopically fitted into the lowerend portion of said first pipe, circular-seal of resilient materialsealingly interposed between said first pipe and said second pipe forpreventing passage of water between head having means responsive to theheat of a fire for opening said head for passage of water therethrough,said sprinkler head being securely attached at the lower endportionthereof to said second pipe with said sprinkler head beingpositioned substantially at the undersurface of said ceiling panel ofsaid room, said sprinkler head being disposed normally in a closeddisposition for holding water in the fire sprinkler system until saidsprinkler head is actuated by a fire and moved to an open disposition.

6. In a fire sprinkler system in a building with the sprinkler systemincluding a substantially horizontally disposed water supply pipearranged above the ceiling panel of a room of the building, a pluralityof drop sprigs dependently secured from said water supply pipe; each ofsaid drop sprigs comprising a first cylindrical pipe disposedvertically, said first pipe including an inside cylindrical surface andan outside cylindrical surface, means connecting the upper end of saidfirst pipe to said supply pipe for passage of water into said firstpipe, a second cylindrical pipe disposed vertically, said second pipeincluding a cylindrical inside surface and a cylindrical outsidesurface, said outside surface of said second pipe being smaller thansaid inside surface of said first pipe, the upper end portion of saidsecond pipe being telescopically fitted into the lower end portion ofsaid first pipe, an annular circumferentially formed groove provided insaid outside surface of said second pipe, a circular seal of resilientmaterial snugly fitted into said annular groove, said circular sealbeing interposedly disposed between said inside surface of said firstpipe and said groove of said second pipe, said circular seal and saidgroove providing means for preventing passage of water between saidfirst pipe and said second pipe, and a valved sprinkler head havingmeansresponsive to the heat from a fire for opening said head for passage ofwater therethrough, said sprinkler head being positioned substantiallyat the under surface of said ceiling panel of said room, said valvedsprinkler head being normally secured in a closed disposition forholding Water in said sprinkler system and until said sprinkler head isactuated to an open disposition by the heat from the fire.

7. In a fire sprinkler system in a building with the sprinkler systemincluding a substantially horizontally disposed water supply pipearranged above the ceiling panel of a room of the building, a pluralityof drop sprigs depending from said water supply pipe; each of said dropsprigs comprising a first cylindrical pipe disposed vertically, saidfirst pipe including an inside cylindrical surface and an outsidecylindrical surface, means connecting the upper end of said first pipeto said water supply pipe for passage of water into said first pipe, atsecond cylindrical pipe disposed vertically, said second pipe includinga cylindrical inside surface and a cylindrical outside surface, saidoutside surface of said second pipe being smaller than said insidesurface of said first pipe, the upper end portion of aid second pipebeing telescopically fitted into the lower end portion of said firstpipe, an annular circumferentially disposed groove provided in saidoutside surface of said second pipe and adjacent the upper end portionthereof, a circular seal of resilient material snugly fitted in saidannular groove, said circular seal being interposedly disposed betweensaid inside surface of said first pipe and said groove of said secondpipe, said circular seal preventing passage of water between said firstpipe and saidsecond pipe, a valved sprinkler head having meansresponsive to the heat of a fire for opening said head for passage ofwater therethrough, said sprinkler head being positioned substantiallyat the undersurface of said ceiling panel of said room, and meansadjustably securing said second pipe at a selected position relative tosaid first pipe and for preventing telescopic movement of said firstpipe relative to said second pipe, said valved sprinkler head beingnormally secured in a closed disposition for holding water in said firesprinkler system until said sprinkler head is actuated to an opendisposition by the heat of a fire.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which said means fixedly securing saidsecond pipe at a selected position relative to said first pipe includesa threaded hole extending through said first pipe and a set screwthreadedly engaged in said hole and contacting said second pipe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 653,384 7/00Grove 285-303 1,714,803 5/29 Mueller 285-302 1,962,534 6/34 Sweetland239201 2,031,754 2/36 Bacigalupi 285-302 X 2,291,818 8/42 Loepsinger16937 2,478,976 8/49 Modlin 285-302 2,494,598 1/50 Waring 285302 X2,968,440 1/61 Cone 239303 3,007,528 11/61 Gloeckler 169-41 3,083,914 4/63 Smith et a1 239203 3,084,869 4/63 Hutty et a1. 239201 EVERETT W.KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE F. BLANCHARD, Examiner.

1. IN A FIRE SPINKLER SYSTEM OF THE WET SYSTEM TYPE INCLUDING A CONDUITPIPE FOR CARRYING WATER AND THE LIKE AND WITH SAID PIPE BEING ARRANGEDABOVE THE CEILING PANEL OF A ROOM OF A BUILDING, AN ADJUSTABLE DROPSPRIG COMPRISING AN UPPER PIPE CONNECTED ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOFTO SAID FIRST MENTIONED PIPE AND DEPENDING THEREFORM, SAID UPPER PIPEBEING OPEN ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF, A LOWER PIPE SMALLER INDIAMETER THAN SAID UPPER PIPE AND HAVING ITS UPPER END OPEN ANDTELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED IN THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER PIPE, A VALVEDSPRINKLER HEAD CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER PIPE ADJACENT THE LOWER ENDTHEREOF, SAID SPRINKLER HEAD INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO HEAT FOROPENING SAID HEAD FOR PASSAGE OF WATER THERETHROUGH, SAID LOWER PIPEBEING RECTILINEARLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID UPPER PIPE TO POSITION SAIDSPRINKLER HEAD AT A DESIRED POSITION, SAID LOWER PIPE HAVING A SHOULDERADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF, SEALING MEANS FITTED AGAINST SAIDSHOULDER AND EXTENDING OUTWARD-